


Reunion

by DiurnalDays



Series: Toshillion [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Body Modification, Established Relationship, Friends to Enemies, Gen, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, Science Fiction, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28596690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiurnalDays/pseuds/DiurnalDays
Summary: With a cry, Toshiaki whipped his pistol against the Valkyrie’s helmet and sent it flying into the ocean below. With its head now exposed, the Valkyrie raised its arms defensively and jumped back before looking up and locking eyes with Toshiaki--And Toshiaki was a young trainee again, inexplicably drawn to the brooding private with obsidian skin and pale hair.
Relationships: Toshiaki Mizushima/Axellion Aihara
Series: Toshillion [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095440





	Reunion

Toshiaki stood in full protective armor at the bow of the VMS Ark, sea spray and harsh winds buffeting him from all sides. Through a curtain of thick, dark mists and roiling waves, he could see a man standing atop a spire of rock dividing the harbor from the open ocean. 

When the rock spire grew closer, Toshiaki could now discern that the man was wearing standard-issue Vita Federation Valkyrie armor -- a high-ranking soldier whose presence was unbefitting of a small harbor. Unease settled in his gut. What could lay in Cragrock Isle that would demand the protection of a Valkyrie?

The Valkyrie stood straight and alert when the VMS Ark emerged from the mist, armor panels locking into place along his body as if preparing for a fight. A light flickered on within Toshiaki’s helmet to signal that a Neuralink instant communication channel had been opened between himself and the Valkyrie. 

“State your business,” the Valkyrie said in Toshiaki’s ear, voice cold and vaguely familiar.

“We come here to Cragrock Isle to restock our ship,” Toshiaki announced. “We arrive lawfully and with no intent of harm to life or property. We will only require a single day permit before we leave this harbor and continue on our travels.”

“Tell me why I should believe any of your words when the VMS Ark is registered as a lost ship in my database.”

Toshiaki clenched his teeth. Usually the Vita Federation guards at each harbor weren’t this thorough, only briefly glancing in Toshiaki’s direction before waving the VMS Ark through. He didn’t have an alibi prepared for why the ship was now under unregistered ownership.

A long moment of silence passed by. 

“I didn’t expect an answer,” the Valkyrie said. “How typical. You bounty hunters never expect me to challenge your ways. If you have nothing left to say, then I cannot grant you passage into this harbor. The Federation will be stronger with one fewer underbelly leech sucking away its glory and wealth.”

Toshiaki clenched his fists. There was no reasoning with a Vita Federation soldier, but there was also no other harbor in a hundred mile radius that provided all the supplies Toshiaki and Axellion needed. There was no other option. 

In a smooth motion, Toshiaki flipped his energy pistols out of his holsters. He activated the pressurized thrusters in his bionic legs and surged up toward the Valkyrie. A flurry of energy shots pinged off of the stone around the Valkyrie’s feet.

As if anticipating the attack, the Valkyrie leapt into the air, drew an energy sword and slashed it towards Toshiaki. Toshiaki managed to dodge in time, though an arc of sparks managed to graze a thin line along his sternum. The thrusters in his back and arms activated with the deep thrum of pressurized air releasing keeping him balanced in mid-air.

“Predictable,” the Valkyrie spat. “You bounty hunters always opt for violence.”

Toshiaki continued firing his energy pistols at the Valkyrie, but the Valkyrie deflected each shot with his energy sword with the hiss of energy meeting energy. The Valkyrie then activated his own suit’s thrusters and lunged towards him. Toshiaki activated the energy blade stored in the pistol’s handle and parried the Valkyrie’s sword before pushing forward and sending the Valkyrie crashing into the top of the stone spire.

When the dust settled, the Valkyrie tried to get to his feet before collapsing to his knees, momentarily dazed from the hard landing. His energy sword clattered out of his fingers and skittered off the side of the spire.

Finally, Toshiaki had an opening to attack. He charged forward across the top of the stone spire and slashed his energy blade across the Valkyrie’s chest, leaving a deep gouge in the woven metal armor. The Valkyrie jerked forward at this, struggling to land a hit despite his apparent pain and confusion. Still, Toshiaki knew he would quickly lose his opening if he didn’t act now.

With a cry, Toshiaki whipped his pistol against the Valkyrie’s helmet and sent it flying into the ocean below. With its head now exposed, the Valkyrie raised its arms defensively and jumped back before looking up and locking eyes with Toshiaki--

And Toshiaki was a young trainee again, inexplicably drawn to the brooding private with obsidian skin and pale hair.

“Jiaoyue,” Toshiaki said breathlessly. He let down his visor with a press of a button to reveal his face. He could see Jiaoyue’s eyes widen with shock and recognition. “It’s Toshiaki. Don’t you remember me?”

“No,” Jiaoyue said, lips curling into a snarl. He staggered backwards with his fists clenched by his sides. “It can’t be. You died years ago when the Reina collapsed into the ocean. I collected your bionic parts from the ocean myself.”

“That wasn’t all that was left of me.” Toshiaki stepped forward cautiously, still not letting down his guard. “I survived. The nanotechnology in my flesh kept me alive until I was rescued. After that, I chose a new life for myself with my newly formed body.”

Jiaoyue didn’t respond or move from where he stood. Toshiaki took another step forward. “We don’t have to be enemies, Jiaoyue. Let the VMS Ark into the harbor, and I will be on my way within the hour. And if it’s what you want, we will never see each other again. It will be as if I never returned from the dead.”

Before Toshiaki could take another step, Jiaoyue raised his arms as a barrier between them, his eyes as cold as steel. 

“Do not step any closer to me,” Jiaoyue said. “You are an enemy to the Federation now. You do not deserve to walk on the same earth as a Valkyrie now that you knowingly carry stolen Federation technology in your flesh.”

Deep down, Toshiaki had suspected this would happen, but the rejection still stabbed deep in his gut. “Jiaoyue…”

“The General will be alerted that his pet project survived what was initially determined to be a fatal accident,” Jiaoyue continued. “In fact, the General’s precious little pet project is now a renegade bounty hunter who has betrayed everything that the Kainys Project once stood for. Imagine what will be done about that.”

Toshiaki could imagine. As a loyal Kainys Project soldier, he’d hunted down traitors to the Federation with Jiaoyue and the rest of his allies by his side. And as an independent bounty hunter, he’d witnessed firsthand the tortures executed by Federation executioners on their prey.

Jiaoyue’s disgusted snarl became a smug sneer. “You will regret showing your face to me, Mizushima.” 

“So be it,” Toshiaki replied, squaring his shoulders. If Jiaoyue wanted a fight, then Toshiaki would give him one. “Just as Axellion saved me and I saved Axellion, one day I will save you too, Jiaoyue.” 

At that, Jiaoyue’s shoulders started visibly shaking. Toshiaki paused. How many people were able to see the shoulders of a Valkyrie shake? 

“You will either come with me back to the capital or you will soon plunge into the ocean and finally meet your watery death,” Jiaoyue said. “There is no saving what is already beyond saving.” 

“That’s not happening on my watch, buddy!” 

Axellion set foot on the top of the stone spire with a loud burst of his thrusters. Even though his face was obscured by a dark visor, Toshiaki could still practically see the grin spread across his face. 

“Miss me much, Toshi? I pulled on my armor when your little friendly chat became a little fight to the death. Couldn’t let you have all the fun with your old friend here.”

Across from them, Jiaoyue narrowed his eyes. “So you’ve picked up a little toy on your travels, Mizushima. I never thought you were of that sort.”

“Kinda rich of you to say that when you’re just a dog of the military, y’know?” Axellion retorted. “No offense, Toshi, but I don’t think I would’ve liked you if you were like this guy back when you were doing that gig in the military. I’m definitely not letting a guy like him kick your butt into the ocean.” 

“Two against one means nothing to a Valkyrie,” Jiaoyue said. Even after losing his helmet and encountering a new enemy, his expression was still as coolly confident as ever. 

For a moment, Toshiaki wished that somehow things had turned out differently so that Jiaoyue would stand by his side rather than opposite him. But the same qualities that made Jiaoyue so admirable within the ranks of the military also made him a difficult opponent now that he and Toshiaki walked different paths in life.

“Ready to rock and roll, then?” Axellion said, cocking his handgun. “I’m sure ready to kick some Vita Federation butt.”

“I’m ready,” Toshiaki confirmed. “What about you, Jiaoyue?”

Jiaoyue didn’t reply, instead launching himself forward with a battle cry as energy blades buzzed to life along his forearms. Toshiaki and Axellion surged forward to meet him, energy blades meeting Jiaoyue’s in a flurry of sparks. 

For a heartbeat, Jiaoyue fended them both off with his forearms. Then, he feinted at Toshiaki and then swung his arms back toward Axellion, nearly slicing his head off.

“Woah, easy there, buddy!” Axellion shouted, jumping backward in the nick of time. 

“I don’t go easy,” Jiaoyue said, deflecting a jab from Toshiaki as he spoke. “You criminals don’t deserve that.”

“Hey, Toshi, does this guy have any other lines?” Axellion complained. “This is getting kinda boring.”

Before Toshiaki could respond, Jiaoyue tackled him to the ground and pinned his chest under his knee, knocking the wind out of him. When Axellion jumped at Jiaoyue with a belligerent shout, Jiaoyue turned around and slashed a line across Axellion’s stomach. 

“This isn’t like you,” Toshiaki said, voice gravelly. Dark spots encroached on the edges of his vision. “You’re better than this. I know you are. Let us go.”

“You’re no better than I am,” Jiaoyue growled. His arms shook as he reached down to choke Toshiaki with his hands. “You’re not free. You’re not powerful. You’re a criminal. Criminals are stopped, not saved.”

Toshiaki secured his fingers around his energy pistol and shot one, two, three shots at point-blank into Jiaoyue’s torso. Shocked by the sudden attack, Jiaoyue released his knee, giving Toshiaki an opening to push him off and jump away.

Jiaoyue blindly staggered backward, gripping wildly at the blast wounds seared into his torso armor. He didn’t see the edge of the stone spire approaching him before he lost his footing and tumbled backward, plummeting hundreds of feet into the ocean below with a deafening splash. 

Without thinking, Toshiaki jumped after Jiaoyue, breaking through the surface with only a momentary wince of pain after impact. 

As he dove through dark seawater toward the dim glint of armor below, he reached out his hand and managed to grab onto one of Jiaoyue’s limbs. He dragged Jiaoyue’s limp body with him up to the surface and took a desperate gasp of air, the physical strain of carrying a man in heavy armor suddenly catching up to him. 

“Toshi!”

Axellion dove down from above with the sun’s dim rays fanning around his silhouette. He plunged into the water, wrapped his arms around the other side of Jiaoyue’s body, and helped Toshiaki drag him back to the VMS Ark. 

They silently rode into the harbor on autopilot with Jiaoyue laying on the lower deck unconscious yet still breathing. His face was slick and clammy with seawater, his tied-back white dreads now waterlogged. The blast wound on his torso was mostly superficial, but it’d fried enough of the vital circuits in the suit of armor that he would likely require a replacement suit once the Federation recovered his unconscious body.

Seeing Jiaoyue laying on the deck in a catatonic state did something to Toshiaki’s heart. The Jiaoyue he knew wouldn’t be this devoid of life. The Jiaoyue he knew wouldn’t look at him with resentment and disgust. The Jiaoyue he knew...

Axellion rubbed Toshiaki’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry about him. I’m definitely not placing any bets on him, but who knows? If he’s worth it, he’ll come around to our side eventually.”

Toshiaki released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I can only hope you’re right.”

“I’m usually right,” Axellion declared. “And when I’m not right, I’ll be right next time!”

Toshiaki smiled at that. He let Axellion’s infectious optimism wash over him, even as he knew deep in his gut that this wouldn’t be the last time he and Jiaoyue came to blows. 


End file.
